# The ancient Aegean coast in 9 days, from Pergamon to Bodrum Nine days and eight nights heading south down the Aegean coast: three nights in İzmir for Pergamon and the city, three nights in Şirince for Ephesus and the Ionian cities of Priene, Miletus and Didyma, then two nights in Bodrum, facing the castle of the Knights of St John, before flying home. Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/ideas/egee-antique-9-jours/ ## How it works Along Turkey's Aegean coast, Greek and then Roman cities follow one another from north to south, a few hours' drive apart: Pergamon, Smyrna (today's İzmir), Ephesus, Priene, Miletus, then Halicarnassus (today's Bodrum). This trip takes them in order, in three stages, flying into İzmir and out of Bodrum. İzmir is a few hours' flight from Europe's main cities, direct or with one stop and Bodrum a few hours' flight from Europe's main cities, direct or with one stop; both airports also have flights from Istanbul all year round. Distances are short: 78 km from İzmir to Selçuk, the town next to Ephesus, and 169 km from Selçuk to Bodrum, about 2 h 25 by road. The price includes private transfers, from the airport and between stops, and two guided excursions. ## At a glance | Day | Plan | Night | |---|---|---| | 1 | Arrive in İzmir, sunset on the Kordon | Key Hotel | | 2 | Guided trip to Pergamon: acropolis and Asclepieion | Key Hotel | | 3 | İzmir: the agora of Smyrna, the archaeological museum, or the Urla vineyards | Key Hotel | | 4 | Drive to Selçuk, Basilica of St John, check in at Şirince | Kirkinca Houses | | 5 | Ephesus and its Terrace Houses | Kirkinca Houses | | 6 | Guided trip to Priene, Miletus and Didyma | Kirkinca Houses | | 7 | Drive to Bodrum, Bodrum Castle | METT Bodrum | | 8 | Bodrum: the Mausoleum, a boat trip or the beach | METT Bodrum | | 9 | Fly home from Milas-Bodrum | | ## Days 1 to 3: İzmir and Pergamon ### A bank on the Kordon İzmir airport is 18 km from the centre, a 23-minute drive; a private transfer is included. The [Key Hotel](/en/hotels/key-hotel/) has occupied the former İzmir Central Bank building, opened in 1950, since 2011, on the Kordon, the waterfront of the Konak district. It has 31 rooms and suites, and its restaurant keeps a 250-label wine list. It was priced at about €219 a night for early June, room only. On the first evening, the Kordon promenade is where people come to watch the sun set over the gulf. ### Pergamon On day two, a nine-hour guided trip leaves İzmir for Bergama, 115 km away. The [acropolis of Pergamon](/en/turkey/ayvalik-cunda/), a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014, keeps its hillside theatre, library and temples. In the lower town, the Asclepieion was a healing sanctuary of the ancient world. Entry costs €16 at the acropolis and €15 at the Asclepieion from 1 April 2027. ### İzmir or Urla Day three is free. In [İzmir](/en/turkey/izmir-urla/), the agora of ancient Smyrna, in the heart of Konak, has kept its porticoes; entry is €7, and €5 at the archaeological museum. Konak's Clock Tower is a few minutes' walk from the hotel. You can also head to Urla, 40 km away, whose vine-covered hills are home to estates that make wine on site, or to Teos and the small harbour of Sığacık, an Ionian city with a temple of Dionysus and a theatre. ## Days 4 to 6: Ephesus and the Ionian cities ### A village above Ephesus A private transfer reaches Selçuk in less than an hour. In the afternoon, walk up to the Basilica of St John, built over the presumed tomb of the apostle John at the foot of the Ayasuluk citadel (€7), and visit the Ephesus Museum, which shows finds from the site (€11). You sleep in Şirince, a former Greek village 8 km from Selçuk, with white houses and stone lanes. [Kirkinca Houses](/en/hotels/kirkinca-houses/), family-run since 1999, has ten village rooms in stone and wood and six mountain cottages around a pool, away from the village. It was priced at about €133 a night for early June, breakfast included. ### Ephesus On day five, enter the [Ephesus site](/en/turkey/ephesus-sirince/) at opening time, ahead of the heat and the groups. The city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015, runs along Curetes Street to the Library of Celsus, then to the Great Theatre. The Terrace Houses, covered Roman homes with mosaics and frescoes, need a separate ticket. Both entries, €45 for the site including the Ephesus Experience digital museum and €16 for the Terrace Houses from 1 April 2027, are included in the price. ### Priene, Miletus and Didyma On day six, a nine-hour guided trip heads to three Ionian sites south of Selçuk. It starts at Priene, 58 km away, continues to Miletus, whose museum is included in the site ticket, and ends at the Temple of Apollo at Didyma. Entry costs €5 at Priene, €7 at Miletus and €7 at Didyma from 1 April 2027. ## Days 7 and 8: Bodrum ### The Knights' castle The drive from Selçuk to Bodrum is 169 km, about 2 h 25. Bodrum Castle, built in the 15th century by the Knights of St John at the harbour entrance, houses the Museum of Underwater Archaeology; entry, €22 with audio guide, is included in the price. [METT Bodrum](/en/hotels/mett-bodrum/), a five-star resort of 103 rooms, suites and villas, sits in Haremtan cove in the Eskiçeşme district, facing the castle. It has a private cove, a spa with hammam and three restaurants. It was priced at about €190 a night for early June, breakfast included. ### Halicarnassus and the peninsula On day eight, the site of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the tomb of Mausolus completed around 350 BC and counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, shows its foundations and fragments in a site museum (€5). The [Bodrum peninsula](/en/turkey/bodrum/) page describes the villages and bays; a boat trip to Orak Island or the coves along the coast easily fills the afternoon. ## Day 9: departure Milas-Bodrum airport is 38 km from Bodrum, a 38-minute drive, by private transfer. ## Good to know - **The heat.** In Selçuk, average highs rise from 26.8 °C in May to 31.8 °C in June and exceed 34 °C in July and August: visit the sites early in the morning. In Bodrum, the sea averages 22.9 °C in June. - **The Aegean Museum Pass.** It opens the museums and sites of İzmir, Aydın, Muğla and Denizli provinces for seven days, for €75 from 1 April 2027. Compare it with the total of the entries you will pay on site before buying. - **Getting around.** Private transfers from İzmir to Selçuk, 8 km from Şirince, and from Selçuk to Bodrum are included in the price. - **Ramadan and holidays.** Opening hours change at some places: see [Ramadan and holidays 2027 in Turkey](/en/guides/ramadan-fetes-turquie-2027/). - **Entry requirements.** The [visa and entry requirements](/en/guides/visa-turquie/) guide covers the document required and the length of stay. The rule for your country: (Depends on the traveller's country: see the table on https://sabaro-travel.com/en/ideas/egee-antique-9-jours/) - **Safety.** None of the stops is in an area advised against by the foreign ministries Sabaro follows. The [safety in Turkey](/en/guides/securite-turquie/) guide goes through the country area by area. The advice from your country: (Depends on the traveller's country: see the table on https://sabaro-travel.com/en/ideas/egee-antique-9-jours/) ## Frequently asked questions ### Can we add Pamukkale? Yes. The white travertine terraces of Pamukkale and the ancient city of Hierapolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, are 196 km from Selçuk, about 2 h 05 by road; entry is €35 from 1 April 2027. It makes a long day: do it on day six instead of the Ionian cities, or add a night in Şirince. ### Can we start further north, with Troy and Assos? Yes, by adding two or three nights before İzmir. The [Assos, Troy and the Dardanelles](/en/turkey/assos-troy/) page presents the area, and the [Ayvalık, Cunda and Pergamon](/en/turkey/ayvalik-cunda/) page lets you sleep near Pergamon, 66 km from Ayvalık. ### Do we need a guide at Ephesus? It is not compulsory, and the ticket includes the Ephesus Experience digital museum. A guide mainly helps to make sense of the Terrace Houses and the layout of the city. ### Can we finish with more beach days? Yes: extend the stay in Bodrum, whose northern bays, Türkbükü, Gölköy and Torba, have several hotels in the Sabaro selection.